by Joss Schuyler
When you first begin to play the guitar you may find yourself becoming frustrated because your skills are not all they are cracked up to be. You will find that you would like to be able to play the kinds of songs that your favorite guitarists are able to, but which you can't. In fact there are plenty of songs that you are going to find difficult playing in the beginning. So it is a good idea if you spend some time learning a few of the easy lead guitar riffs first.
If you really want to be able to play easy lead guitar riffs well you need to learn how to read guitar tabs. If you don't have the ability to read guitar tabs then actually playing music on your guitar becomes more difficult. Once you have been able to master reading guitar tabs then you will find it so much easier to play the kinds of lead guitar riffs we mention in this article.
1. Smoke On The Water is not only one of the most popular guitar riffs for people who are just learning how to play the guitar, but is also one of the simplest.
To play this particular lead guitar riff you start off with playing the D and G strings open, so none of your fingers will be in contact with the guitar strings and the frets underneath. Once you have played these two strings together you now take your index finger and place it over the third fret on the D string and your middle finger over the third fret on the G string. Again play these two notes together making sure your fingers are positioned correctly before moving on to the next note to play. The next note to play requires you to put your index finger over the fifth fret on the D string and your middle finger over the fifth fret of the G String. Once played you return to the open position before repeating the same notes again. When learning to play any lead guitar riffs including this one it is better not to use a guitar pick but rather just your index finger and thumb.
2. Hells Bells which was written by AC/DC as well as being one of the greatest rock anthems of all time is also one of the easiest songs that you as a guitarist can learn to play. Although be aware that you may find this song a little difficult to play initially because of the speed at which it should be played. Normally this easy lead guitar riff should be played at a speed (tempo) of 96 beats per minute and which is why you may find it so hard to play initially.
The best way for anyone including yourself to learn how to play this particular lead guitar riff is through playing it at a much slower speed (tempo) than is considered normal. The best way of helping to slow down the speed is through using a metronome to count out the beats per minute for you as you practice. Slowly over time your confidence will grow in your playing of this instrument and then you can start to increase the speed (tempo) at which you play this easy lead guitar riff.
3. Another lead guitar riff that you could learn to play is Love Me Tender which really isn't classed as a rock riff. But when you are first learning how to play the guitar this is a simple one for you to attempt. For you to be able to play this song you will only need to use your middle, index and ring fingers. However, don't expect to actually be able to get your fingering position correct straight away it will take lots of practice before you find yourself playing the notes in this song the right way.
Above we have looked at three easy lead guitar riffs that you will find details of how to play online and which are worth you thinking about learning when you start playing the guitar. But in order for you to further improve your guitar playing you will need to dedicate as much time as you can to practicing what you learn including easy lead guitar riffs.
About the Author:
To get a free guitar course, as well as lots of tips for playing the lead guitar like the many of the guitar legends. As well as ideas for starting your own band, visit
http://www.leadguitarguide.com/.
by Joss Schuyler
Many of the best songs around today will have an awesome guitar solo being played in them. For those who are only just starting to learn how to play the guitar will wish to learn how to play an awesome guitar solo like their favorite guitarist. However, this is something that they won't be able to achieve overnight.
The first thing that you are going to discover when you start to learn how to play the guitar is it takes quite some time to master it. However, once your skills of playing do begin to improve then you should dedicate more of your time to playing it so you can move beyond your current abilities. There are a number of things that you can do which can help you when you want to learn how to play an awesome guitar solo and in this article below we take a look at just some of them.
1. At some stage of your the piece being played by your favorite guitarist they will begin to play it at a very high speed and anyone who is unable to play a guitar is often impressed by this. If you would like to be able to play an awesome guitar solo like your guitar hero then you need to dedicate time to learning and developing the correct legato techniques. For you to do this you need to dedicate time to learning and practicing the 3 note per string scales as well as the pentatonic scales.
2. It is crucial if you want to be able to play an awesome guitar solo you learn the finger tapping techniques that were pioneered by Eddie Van Halen. If you can learn to play 2, 4, 6 and 8 finger tapping techniques then this will bring your guitar playing to a whole new level. Also through learning 8 finger tapping the piece you play will sound more dramatic. But you need to learn to pay these techniques both on the upper and middle registers and this offers you the chance to combine them with each other. Another thing you need to do is learn to tap arpeggios as again this will give you more notes to incorporate into the piece that you are playing.
3. If you want to be able to play an awesome guitar solo then you need to learn how to shred and in order to do this you will need to get yourself a metronome. This piece of musical equipment can either be brought through your local music store or online one. The other option is to actually download metronome software directly onto your PC. Once you have the metronome then as you practice a particular solo piece of music you need to use the metronome to increase the speed at which you are playing. To shred properly you need to play the 16th notes at around 200 beats a second.
As time passes your confidence in shredding the guitar will grow and you will find that not only can you play up and down the scales quickly but you can sweep the arpeggios and pentatontics scales fast as well. It is important that you need to find yourself a suitable book or online course that is able to teach you not just about diad's but also about arpeggios.
4. You need to start learning to move out of your comfort zone if you wish to learn how to play an awesome guitar solo well. Therefore when you feel comfortable and ready to start experimenting with what you are playing and don't be overly concerned if you find yourself hitting some bum notes as they may actually be right.
If you want to learn how to play an awesome guitar solo then it is best if you stick to those that come with simple melodies when learning how to play a particular piece of music. You may not have realized this but it is often these simple melodies which are played on and off in a piece of music that prove to be more memorable to those who are listening to it.
About the Author:
Do you dream of knowing how to play an awesome guitar solo like the legends of rock, country, or blues? Then go to my website where you can get your free guitar course, plus lots of guitar playing tips! Just click here now:
Lead Guitar Guide
by Joss Schuyler
You could if you wanted to learn to play the guitar quickly and well, but the only person that will prevent you from doing this is you yourself. If you are looking to be able to play the guitar like many professionals can then you need to spend a great deal of time learning every aspect of this instrument including the ways of how to play guitar riffs.
For you to be able to play the guitar to a high standard needs a lot of patience and effort from you. It is only when you are able to play to such a level will you then start to feel exhilarated by the way in which you are playing.
But before you can get started and so learn how to play guitar riffs, licks etc. well there are certain things that you will need to take into consideration first, and below we take a look at just a number of these things.
1. The Guitar - You should never go for the first guitar that you come across when you are purchasing one for the first time. Rather spend some time at your local music or guitar store trying out several different ones to see which you feel most comfortable with when you attempt to play it.
Yes you should compare the costs of the different guitars that you are thinking of purchasing, but this should not act as the main criteria for your purchase. It is worth spending a little less on the guitar because in the beginning when learning to play the instrument any additional features it has is something that you won't be using. Then at a later date as and when your playing skills improve can you make the decision to upgrade to a more expensive model with the features that you do need.
2. Get Guitar Lessons - Through having lessons not only will you learn how to play guitar riffs well but also in the right way. If you want you can either find someone close to you who can provide you with what you need lesson wise, or the other choice is to take an online course instead. There are plenty of these courses around but one that is proving very useful and popular come from Jamorama.
Although having one on one lessons with something locally is nice it can be extremely expensive, whereas with online courses your pay a one off fee. The other advantages of doing your course online is you can decide when your lessons take place at a time that is convenient to you and can also do them in your own home so no need to spend money traveling to the place where the lessons would take place.
3. Practice, Practice, Practice - After you have been shown how to play guitar riffs you then need to spend as much time as you can practicing what you have been taught. The more time you dedicate to your practice after what you have learnt then the more likely you will find your memory is able to retain what you have been shown. It is all well and good practicing but you must make sure that you use the correct techniques at all times.
About the Author:
To get your free guitar course, plus lots of tips of how to play guitar riffs like the legends and ideas for starting your own band, visit
Lead Guitar Guide
by Joss Schuyler
It takes more than a natural talent to play a lead guitar it also takes time dedicated to learning the theory and techniques of playing the instrument. Many people have learnt how to play a lead guitar and are now looking to improve their skills, but some find it easier than others. In this article we provide some tips which you make find useful in the future to help improve your playing lead guitar.
Tip 1 - Although you may think that learning the basics of playing a lead guitar isn't important because it is boring, then think again. Certainly if you aren't willing to spend time learning even the basics when playing lead guitar it can prove very difficult indeed.
Tip 2 - Although you would like to start playing the lead guitar stood up or jumping around, this really isn't the best way to learn. You will find it a lot easier if you practice your playing when sat in a comfortable chair. This way you will find that you are more and so can retain things much more easily and also you won't become so tired so quickly when you are practicing.
Tip 3 - You need to make sure that you discipline yourself to carry out practice when you should. Therefore if you decide that each day you are going to spend 45 minutes practicing then make sure that you keep to this and don't slope off 10 or 20 minutes before you should.
Tip 4 - Although economy picking is easier it is far better if you also learn alternate picking. If you do not learn this technique then you are going to find it more difficult to learn more complex techniques or faster pieces of music. With alternate picking you are learning how to alternate between the down and up strokes as you pick the guitar strings. It takes time but you will soon be playing these picks in an automatic way and the speed at which you pick the strings will increase.
Tip 5 - You need to spend plenty of time on learning the various lead guitar playing techniques. Which means practicing how to play slides, bends, pull offs, hammer ons, vibratos and other techniques used by lead guitarists today. If you can learn and master these techniques not only will your playing become more colorful but more expressive as well.
Tip 6 - To play certain lead guitar solos you will need to learn how to repeatedly play scales. The types of scales that are most commonly used by guitarists today to help them with their playing and which they learn are the Pentatonic and E Blues scales. If you can master these scales then you will find that they make a good framework for your playing and can help you to then start creating your own music.
Tip 7 - This final tip for playing lead guitar is of course for many the most important and is the one that says that you should practice, practice, and practice. The more time you spend on practicing a piece then you will find it much easier to remember and over time you will find them much easier to play. It is best when you start learning to play each piece you do so slowly at first and then build up the speed of playing them using a metronome.
About the Author:
Do you wish to be playing lead guitar just like the legends of rock, country, or blues? Visit my website in order to get your free guitar course, plus lots of guitar playing tips! Just click here now at
Lead Guitar Guide.
by Joss Schuyler
It is relatively simple for anyone to be able to learn how to play shred guitar music like musicians such as Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert or Rusty Cooley. However, for any guitarist to play like them they need to dedicate time to their playing and also have plenty of patience. If you want to improve the way you play shred guitar then you need to be using a metronome.
Below we offer some advice that you may find useful when you are thinking of learning how to play shred guitar in a similar fashion to the musicians we mention above. Of course what you first need to do is get together the right equipment, namely a good electric guitar and a metronome. Then when you have these you will be able to begin learning about how to play shred guitar music yourself.
Step 1 - You first need to spend some time looking for the kinds of sheet music and tabs that have the types of shred licks that you would like to learn how to play. One of the best and easiest places to find what you are looking for these days is the internet.
Step 2 - After find the piece of music that you wish to learn how to play it is time to get your electric guitar and metronome set up. However, many people are unable to purchase a real metronome and instead use one of the many online ones instead.
Step 3 - It is crucial that when you are learning any new licks that you do so very slowly at first and without actually using the metronome initially. It is vital that you continue to play at this slow speed until you begin to feel more confident that everything you are learning has been ingrained in your memory.
Step 4 - As soon as you feel that you have the piece memorized now is time to start practicing the piece again but this time using the metronome. When you first start using the metronome it is best to keep the tempo of it down to around 40 beats per minute and also make sure that you remain in time with it. Keep playing at this tempo until you are able to play it both cleanly and accurately.
Step 5 - You should only increase the tempo of the metronome when you have been able to play the piece properly without making any mistakes 5 times in a row. Then you need to increase the tempo again but only in increments of 5 beats per minute each time. Again you should only increase the tempo until you reach the correct speed at which it should be played after being able to play it 5 times in a row without making any mistakes.
Although these steps may seem relatively simple when it comes to learning how to play shred guitar. You need to be aware that you will need to spend many hours using the metronome before you can play it correctly. Also if you find at any time that you cannot play the lick at a faster tempo then turn just turn the metronome off and go back to step one. Then when you feel comfortable playing the piece at this speed once more use the metronome again. However, make sure that you reduce the tempo down to 10 beats per minute below that where you were having difficulties.
About the Author:
To get a free guitar course, plus lots of tips for how to play shred guitar just like the legends along with ideas for starting your own band, visit
Lead Guitar Guide
by Joss Schuyler
It is a good idea before one attempts to learn an easy guitar solo you find out more about what they are. A guitar solo is a piece of music which will be written purely to be played on either an electric or acoustic guitar. In many cases these pieces of music allow for some improvisation by the guitarist playing them such as you will see when they are incorporated into metal, rock, jazz or blues music.
Along with guitar solos being written so that they are played only on a guitar some pieces have been written where they will be accompanied by other instruments as you often see in many rock groups songs. Generally you will find it is the lead guitarist of the rock group who will be designated to play these guitar solos as they appear in their songs.
When you are just starting to learn how to play the guitar then spending time learning a few easy guitar solos could prove very beneficial to your playing technique. There are many easy guitar solos to consider and below we look at two which are certainly some of the easiest to learn.
1. Sweet Child O'Mine by Guns N' Roses - If you have only been playing the guitar for a short time and never attempted to play a guitar solo before you may find this one a little difficult at the start. This is because that there is some string skipping for you to learn to deal with.
When you are first learning how to play this particular guitar solo then set up a metronome beside you when practising it. Instead of attempting to play this particular piece of music at the original tempo of 120 beats per minute slow it down using the metronome. Now spend as much time as you can practising this piece of music at the much slower tempo and then increase the tempo on the metronome as begin to feel more confident with the way in which you are playing it.
If you find that even when playing this solo at a much slower speed than the 120 beats per minute you are still having problems then you should slow it down further. You may feel that you should be able to play it at the correct speed straight away but this will not happen. If you are having problems playing it at a much slower tempo in the beginning then trying to play it at the correct speed becomes even more difficult. You need to remember that each note you play in this solo is an eighth note so each note you play only gets half a beat on the metronome.
2. Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana - This is has become one of the most influential songs of all time and even though the guitar solo within it is brief it is perfect for those who are only just learning to play the guitar. The great thing about this easy guitar solo is that it mimics the actual verse in the song and so fits in well with the flow of the music.
You may want to attempt playing this particular easy guitar solo without using your little finger. However, if you are a complete beginner at playing the guitar then using your little finger is crucial as it makes it much easier to play the eighth fret note when moving between the G and D and the D and A Strings. Also you should insure you use your index finger as well when playing this easy guitar solo as it makes bending the eighth fret note much easier.
About the Author:
To get a free guitar course, plus plenty of tips for playing guitar just like the legends and ideas for starting your own band, then visit Lead Guitar Guide
http://www.leadguitarguide.com/